Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-08-10
Many McteOrs.
PROF. PROCTOR ON THE DISPLAY EXPECTED THIS
WEFE.-

On the nights OF August 10 and II observers OF
the star depths may look with confidence for the
meteors called in the Middle Ages, "The Tears OF
st. Lawrence" bat now less POLITICALLY named the
PerSeids, says Prof. Richard A. Proctor in the New
York World. These same August meteors may.
however, be looked for all through the coming
week, the system being widespread one through
Which our earth, despite its swift motion OF S 600
miles an hour, takes several days in passing. Half
century ago each one OF the bodies which will be
seen on the nights or Wednesday and Thursday OF
THIS week, ana recognized as belonging to the
family OF August meteors, was far out In space-be-
yona the remoteSt depehS 10 which the aStronO-
mer has yet traced our solar system. Besides the
travellers caught by the earth during the coming
week ana brought TO brilliant end-as in their
swift plunge into our air they are raised into in
candescence by intense heat, then vapOriZed and
dispersed-there are millions or Others which Will
pass out during the next half century to the same
remote depths OF tnterplanetary space.
AS meteors are always falling, and many besides
the August meteors will be seen On wednesday
and Thursday, it may be interesting to those who
care TO watch for falling stars to learn how they
may Identity meteers OF the Perseid family The
Identified. They all follow tracks which seem to
radiate from the constellation Perseus. The track
OF an august meteor may, indeed, be far removed,
along its whole length, from that well-known con.
Stellation; but II the observed course or such a
meteor is traced backward far enough either In
IMAGINATION IN the star depths, or on map or
gobe, 1t Will be found to pass through Perseus II
the path OF meteor, so prolonged beyond its
observed range, should not pass through Perseus,
system That meteor belongs to it Is not one OF St.
Lawrenees Tears, or, in the drier style OF the
astronomer, 1t is not Perseid.
The n0n-aStf0nOmical observer Will ash inst
here, how he is to find Perseus in the sky. FOR
tunately IT Is easy to direct him, even without
naming the Dipper, the pole star and other groups
or stars Which every one Is supposed to know but
OF which many are profoundly ignorant, About
8 In the evening throughout the week Perseus is
and northeast. Recognized in that direction az q.
or any time between and 10, the constellation
can be followed all through the night, II the OBJ
a festoon OF stars or different brightness from
the second only one OF theSe) to the fifth and is
t Mort nnv1 knowing fe 4r ITS own sake But II
and IL he will have no trouble In recognizing
August meteors, even without first finding Per.
during those hoursits course will be directed from
the north-nOrtheaSt horizon at g. from point I'm
the northeast several degrees above the horizon at
IL, and from point somewhere between these be-
tween and IL. SO that at the beginning of this
Interval all August meteorS VIII have tracks tend.
ing toward the th-SOuuhwest horizon: at the
end their tracks will tend toward q point in the
SoIthw est somewhat below the horizon and be-
tween these times their tracks will tend toward
and southwest, this part passing all. the time
gradually lower.
considerable interest attaches to the observa-
H. For such observations indicate the extent
OF the stream Our earth travels, in round rum
bers, 1,600, 600 miles day, SO that in week-the
oNOi WINCH thuSuoC iAOscoIS nave UCtu un-
doubleday recOgnfzed-the earth had traversed
distance OF more than II, GOO, 600 miles That Is
bodies. Yet, prob .biy, it s-ittie compared with
the extension OF the stream on either side Of the
earth's track. And, certainly, the spread OF the
meteor system In either direction is the merest
nothing, compared with the systems range In dis
tance-a range amounting to the whole circuit of
an oval path more than 600 600 600 miles In its
greatest length. Thus, IL the August meteors are
individually Small-Some or them little more than
grains OF cosmical duSt-they occupy a region Of
space, compared with which the globe OF theearth
Is but point and even the Immense globe OF the
sun sinks into utter insignihcance.